The key facts

  • The Yemeni government army reported two ballistic missiles fired at Aden
  • 723 strikes and operations were announced as part of Operation Yemeni Dawn
  • Houthi losses were preliminarily estimated at about 321 killed and wounded

Missile shelling of Aden and the scale of operations

The Yemeni government army said on Saturday that the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles at Aden, the government's temporary capital. Army official spokesperson Majed al-Nuzaili gave these figures to the Saba agency; he did not specify any information about possible casualties or destruction.

Course of Operation Yemeni Dawn

In a separate statement on X, al-Nuzaili said that government forces, as part of Operation Yemeni Dawn, attacked Houthi positions, reinforcements and weaponry. According to him, preliminary Houthi losses amounted to about 321 commanders and fighters killed or wounded, and 117 pieces of military equipment and hardware were destroyed or damaged. The operations included 37 airstrikes, 56 drone strikes and 630 artillery and rocket attacks — 723 strikes and operations in total. The army spokesperson also stated that government forces are repelling Houthi attacks in Taiz, Marib and Al-Jawf, and that operations continue on the southern and southwestern fronts. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the Yemeni army's statements.

Context of the conflict

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country. In 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in support of the internationally recognized government, leading to years of fighting and a severe humanitarian crisis. A new escalation between government forces and the Houthis began in July after the collapse of the truce reached in 2022.